Ron Paul on NPR Friday 2/15/2013 with Tavis Smiley and Cornel West (link to audio)

[Austrian Econ Disciple]

On some level there's truth to that, but critical progressive thinkers like Tavis and Cornell West are few and far between. And they still haven't applied that credulity to the social programs they champion.

Gleen Greenwald is by far the best of the lot. Guy is really good, except of course on economics...(moralistic property rights).

 

[The Northbreather]

Break it down Dr. Paul! Individualism Vs Collectivism is the crux every time.

Ron made my day...again

 

[Boss]

Wonderful interview on so many levels.

 

[BuddyRey]

What a jewel of an interview. These guys are great.

 

[A Son of Liberty]

Just listened to it this morning, and I was reminded why this man cured my apathy, and opened my eyes to libertarianism, anti-statism, etc.

Also, please note that he did not at any point hedge his words. He confidently, but politely, stated his actual position.

 

[liveandletlive]

never did care for "Soul Brother #1" Cornell West but atleast he isnt OReilly

 

[sailingaway]

Just listened to it this morning, and I was reminded why this man cured my apathy, and opened my eyes to libertarianism, anti-statism, etc.

Also, please note that he did not at any point hedge his words. He confidently, but politely, stated his actual position.

Yeah. It's a great interview. And he's.... Ron Paul.

 

[sailingaway]

Sunday bump

 

[randpaul2016]

anyone notice that ron paul is a conflict theorist? comes out a lot on this interview


sent this to my sociology professor, he listens to NPR all the time but missed this interview so I made sure he got the chance to hear it

 

[torchbearer]

anyone notice that ron paul is a conflict theorist? comes out a lot on this interview


sent this to my sociology professor, he listens to NPR all the time but missed this interview so I made sure he got the chance to hear it

explain how ron is a conflict theorist.

 

[randpaul2016]

explain how ron is a conflict theorist.

the power elite etc, his stance on the war on drugs makes it obvious. Im not trying to label him as a 'conflict theorist' btw I dont like labels

 

[torchbearer]

the power elite etc, his stance on the war on drugs makes it obvious. Im not trying to label him as a 'conflict theorist' btw I dont like labels

I recognize c. wright mills work on the power elite as an accurate look at the power centers of this country, that doesn't make me a conflict theorist.

 

[randpaul2016]

I recognize c. wright mills work on the power elite as an accurate look at the power centers of this country, that doesn't make me a conflict theorist.

doesnt make me one either...wtf

 

[torchbearer]

doesnt make me one either...wtf

then how does that make ron a conflict theorist?

 

[devil21]

then how does that make ron a conflict theorist?

WTF is a conflict theorist anyway?

 

[torchbearer]

WTF is a conflict theorist anyway?

its a school of thought in sociology.

Conflict theories are perspectives in sociology that emphasize the social, political, or material inequality of a social group, that critique the broad socio-political system, or that otherwise detract from structural functionalism and ideological conservativism. Conflict theories draw attention to power differentials, such as class conflict, and generally contrast historically dominant ideologies. It is therefore a macro level analysis of society. Karl Marx is the father of the social conflict theory, which is a component of the 4 paradigms of sociology. Certain conflict theories set out to highlight the ideological aspects inherent in traditional thought. Whilst many of these perspectives hold parallels, conflict theory does not refer to a unified school of thought, and should not be confused with, for instance, peace and conflict studies, or any other specific theory of social conflict.

Of the classical founders of social science, conflict theory is most commonly associated with Karl Marx (1818–1883). Based on a dialectical materialist account of history, Marxism posited that capitalism, like previous socioeconomic systems, would inevitably produce internal tensions leading to its own destruction.[SUP][1][/SUP] Marx ushered in radical change, advocating proletarian revolution and freedom from the ruling classes. At the same time, Karl Marx was aware that most of the people living in capitalist societies did not see how the system shaped the entire operation of society. Just like how we see private property, or the right to pass that property on to our children as natural, many of members in capitalistic societies see the rich as having earned their wealth through hard work and education, while seeing the poor as lacking in skill and initiative. Marx rejected this type of thinking and termed it false consciousness, explanations of social problems as the shortcomings of individuals rather than the flaws of society. Marx wanted to replace this kind of thinking with something Engels termed class consciousness, workers' recognition of themselves as a class unified in opposition to capitalist and ultimately to the capitalist system itself. In general, Marx wanted the proletarians to rise up against the capitalist and overthrow the capitalist system.[SUP][2][/SUP]

The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles. Freeman and slave, patrician and plebeian, lord and serf, guild-master and journeyman, in a word, oppressor and oppressed, stood in constant opposition to one another, carried on an uninterrupted, now hidden, now open fight, a fight that each time ended, either in a revolutionary re-constitution of society at large, or in the common ruin of the contending classes.

— Karl Marx & Friedrich Engels The Communist Manifesto 1848, [SUP][[/SUP]​

 

[torchbearer]

C. Wright Mills has been called the founder of modern conflict theory.[SUP][14][/SUP] In Mills's view, social structures are created through conflict between people with differing interests and resources. Individuals and resources, in turn, are influenced by these structures and by the "unequal distribution of power and resources in the society."[SUP][14][/SUP] The power elite of American society, (i.e., the military–industrial complex) had "emerged from the fusion of the corporate elite, the Pentagon, and the executive branch of government." Mills argued that the interests of this elite were opposed to those of the people. He theorized that the policies of the power elite would result in "increased escalation of conflict, production of weapons of mass destruction, and possibly the annihilation of the human race."[SUP][14]

[SUP]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conflict_theory[/SUP][/SUP]

 

[torchbearer]

I went balls-deep into sociology.
I read Mills the most, he had the best studies on the power centers of this country.

 

[nayjevin]

WTF is a conflict theorist anyway?

Sounds like something the scholarship elite would label a particularly annoying up and coming school of thought that might threaten the comfort of status quo.

 

[torchbearer]

Sounds like something the scholarship elite would label a particularly annoying up and coming school of thought that might threaten the comfort of status quo.

more particular:
Conflict theories are perspectives in sociology that emphasize the social, political, or material inequality of a social group, that critique the broad socio-political system, or that otherwise detract from structural functionalism and ideological conservativism. Conflict theories draw attention to power differentials, such as class conflict, and generally contrast historically dominant ideologies.


the reason ron isn't a conflict theoriest is because his theories are based on the individual, not social groupings.
though, you could structure a conflict theory that pits individualist against collectivist- and in that sense, have a conflict theory.

Marx only saw two classes, prolet and the capitalist.
Weber would believe that is marx failing because society is divided in different ways:

The three-component theory of stratification, more widely known as Weberian Stratification or Three Class System, was developed by German sociologist Max Weber with class, status and party as distinct ideal types. Weber developed a multidimensional approach to Social stratification that reflects the interplay among wealth, prestige and power. “Weber argued that power can take a variety of forms. A person’s power can be shown in the social order through their status, in the economic order through their class, and in the political order through their party. Thus, class, status and party are each aspects of the distribution of power within a community.”[SUP][1][/SUP] Class, Status and Party have a great deal of effect not only within their individual areas but also have a great deal of influence over the other areas as well.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three-component_theory_of_stratification


I would say both are incorrect because people are so diverse, and their labels so varied that only try way to see things, even at the macro level is the individual vs those who wish to enslave/steal that individual.

This discussion does give me an idea for a possible paper/book.